The Klondike Institute of Art and Culture in Dawson City is marking a major milestone this month, as its long-running Coffee House and Open Mic Night celebrates 20 years of community performances. The anniversary event will take place on Saturday, April 11, 2026, from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm at the KIAC Ballroom, also known as Dënäkär Zho.
The monthly showcase was founded in 2006 by local residents Nijen Holland, Marjorie Logue, and Kim Hart. They created the program as an alcohol-free, all-ages space where community members could share music, storytelling, juggling, and other talents. Over the last two decades, the event has remained a staple of the local arts scene, featuring performers ranging from children in fiddle classes at Robert Service School to established local musicians and visiting artists.
The program is operated entirely by volunteers and is supported by the Dawson City Arts Society, the non-profit organization that manages the arts centre. While admission is by donation, the Coffee House crew has decided that all funds raised during this special anniversary gathering will be donated back to the institute to support its ongoing programming. Organizers are inviting past participants to return to the stage to help commemorate the event’s history.
The building housing the event has its own deep history in the community. Originally constructed as the Odd Fellows Hall in 1901, the venue was later restored by a team led by local miner and arts advocate Greg Hakonson. In 2019, the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Elders’ Council officially renamed the building Dënäkär Zho, which means Mixed Colours House in the Hän language.
